Heat
by Snafu the Great
Summary: Inspired by the Ranma lemon of the same name by Lord Archive. One sultry summer day. One man. Several sexy women. Very Big Trouble. Final Chapter Added.
1. Part One

Heat

A Street Fighter Fanfiction

By The Headcrook

Legal Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Capcom Entertainment. First off, I would like to thank Lord Archive for letting me use his story concept to write this story. This is alo the first story that I'm writing from Ryu's POV.

Part One

You know, it's funny how things work out, even for those who are least expecting it.

Right now, I'm looking at the sleeping Chinese female, whose bare back I'm pressed up against, eventhough I'm tired myself, her hand interlaced with my own, a look of peaceful content on her beautiful face. I've been through a lot today, but after this latest chain of events, it was all worth it. We're both covered by a thin bedsheet, to give us some modesty following our...well, I'm not the type of person to go into detail about their sex life. I would much rather pound someone's head into powder instead.

Where are my manners? My name is Ryu Hoshi.

Yeah, Ryu Hoshi. The same guy that had (unintentionally) scarred the 'Emperor of Muay Thai' Victor Sagat with my Dragon Punch. The same guy that Shadowlaw had been looking for. The same guy that had faced Bison in the tournament and defeated him. The same guy who went to hell and back to avenge my fallen master.

All of this began on my birthday. July twenty-first. To top it off, the Japanese mainland was caught in the middle of a heatwave. I was at home (despite what most people say about me, I DO have a place to live. You can say that I like to mess with people with the whole wandering warrior routine). Fortunately, it had rained earlier and the temperature had dropped to something more comfortable for a nice jog throughout Tokyo...

Ryu's Dojo/Home, earlier that day...-

"Happy birthday, Sempai!"

The cheerful voice of my young apprentice had turned my attention away from the calendar that I was looking at. More like gawking, if you asked me. I turned to the teenage girl, who at the moment was holding something behind her back.

"Oh. Thank you, Sakura," I replied.

She held out her hands. It was a small photograph and an envelope. I gave her my thanks and took the items. The framed picture was that of me and her at her first junior martial arts tournament (where she won first, I might add), Sakura smiling and me looking as bit as the proud master that I was...that is if you count my with my arms folded and my face in its usual neutral expression.

I took the photo and placed it on the mantle with several others and opened the birthday card. I won't go into details as to what the card said, but what Sakura wrote in it was:

_'Thank you for training me, Ryu. Happy birthday! Sakura.'_

I placed the card on the mantle beside the photo and turned to Sakura. Tousling her hair, I grinned and told her, "Thanks for the presents, Sakura. Also, I'm taking the day off, so no training today."

Sakura nodded. "Well, Kei and Hinata wanted me to go to the mall with them anyway. So I'll see you tomorrow after school?"

I nodded my consent and with a birthday hug, Sakura was out the shoji door.

I sat down on the sofa. The dojo and flat was originally Master Gouken's - may he rest in peace - but he left it to me in his will. So while I was out travelling, Ken made some...adjustments to the place, making it slightly Western, but still retaining its Japanese appearance.

Then the phone rang. Speak of the devil...

I reached over and picked up the cordless phone. "Hello?"

"Happy birthday, muscleman."

Ken.

"So how does it feel to be twenty-eight today?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Didn't feel the same when I turned twenty-seven," I replied, leaning back on the couch. "Where are you?"

"In Yokohama. Masters Foundation business. Maybe I can swing by the dojo later on and give you a birthday ass-kicking."

I smiled. Same old Ken. "You can try, Masters, but I'm the one with the better win record."

"Maybe I let you win most of them."

"If you do that, then where's the fun in knowing that I can kick your ass fair and square?" I replied.

"Whatever. So what's the story between you and Chun Li?"

Ulp. That came out of nowhere. As a martial artist, you're expected to be on your guard at all times. However, Ken had caught me completely by surprise.

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to sound innocent...and failing miserably.

"Come on, Ryu," Ken replied. "Stop playing dumb. Besides, you're a lousy liar. So tell me. You got the hots for her or what?"

I stood up and walked over to the mantle. My eyes rested on a photo that was taken shortly before Ken's wedding. It was one of myself, Ken, Eliza and Chun Li, who was my date. We had all went to the movies together and after that, walked through an open air market in San Francisco's Chinatown, where the photo was taken at.

"It's a lot more...complicated than that, Ken," I replied mildly. "Besides, what made you notice?"

"When you and her showed up 5 minutes late for my wedding," Ken replied. "And you were the best man."

I knew that Ken would drag this on, so I decided to tell him. "This stays between us, understand?"

"Sure."

"When I said it was complicated earlier," I started. "Well. Chun Li and I don't have a 'normal' relationship. When I'm in Hong Kong or when I meet up with her elsewhere by accident, we usually end up sleeping together. It's been like that since the last tournament. That was six months ago."

Sugar-coating the truth wasn't one of my specialties. I call it the way I see it, to the point where I'm completely blunt.

"So everytime you're within distance of each other, you and her get together?" Ken asked me.

"Yeah," I replied. "But the funny thing is...that we never talk. We just lay there. One time, I started to say something, but she just silenced me and it's been like that between us."

"You sure she's not seeing anybody else?"

I scoffed. "Chun Li is an Interpol detective, not to mention one of the best martial artists I had the honor of facing in a match. I'll bet that most of the guys in Hong Kong, let alone China are scared of her. Anyway, I just want something more than just sexnot that I'm complaining that is, but we just never get a chance to talk. Maybe it's because we have nothing to say."

"Maybe she's just using you for sex, you know," Ken suggested. "Bison did murder her father, so she needs someone to wipe the pain away, if only for a little while."

"What if I told you that I was guilty of the same crime?" I retorted. "Gouken was the closest thing I had to a father, and he was also murdered. Aside from fighting, I felt alive when I am with her."

"So why don't you just call her and tell her how you feel? You got her number, right?"

"I think I misplaced it," I replied. "I'll talk to you later."

"Okay then. Happy birthday, Ryu."

"Thanks. Bye."

I clicked off the phone and sat back down. After a moment I stood up and walked into my room. Follwing a shower and a change of clothes (I promised myself that I woudn't fight today, but a jog into the city is another story), I was ready to go into the city.

Something told me that this was the beginning of trouble.


	2. Part Two

Note: On Why I haven't been updating the Millenium Chaos Pageant. One of The Headcrook's most trusted friends who had inspired him to write the MC Pageant has passed on after a lenghly illness. So, to honor her memory, I will complete the MC Pageant as soon as possible.

Part Two

Seven and a half miles.

From my dojo to the closet district, which is Chiyoda, is seven and a half miles.

Or course, I can run more than that. I can Hurricane Kick six miles in the space of 45 minutes. But that's another story.

Dressed in a white tanktop, a pair of black track pants and a pair of tennis shoes, and never going without my favorite red headband, I made my way through the Chiyoda district of Tokyo. After jogging for nearly an hour, I decided to take a break. I walked over to a vendor's stand and bought a bottle of water.

While walking at a brisk pace and taking sips from my water, I walked around a corner and ended up bumping into someone. That someone was Maki Genryusai, the sister-in-law of one of my rivals, the Bushin ninja Guy. She was dressed in her usual Bushin ninja uniform and red-and-white tennis shoes. She was also sweating, as if she was training. And Since I'm taller than her, if I look closely enough, I can see down her...wait a sec! What kind of a pervert am I?

I extended my hand out to her. "Are you okay?"

Maki accepter my hand and I helped her to her feet. "Yeah. I'm fine, Ryu." Either it was me, or she was looking at what I was wearing. "What are you doing here, anyway? I don't see you at the training hall as much."

"I got my own student to train now," I replied. "Something for me to do to kill time. She's a good kid and a willing apprentice."

Maki smiled at me. "I'm glad for you, Ryu." She then moved closer to me. She was so close to me that her lips were more or less a mere inch from my own as she whispered to me. "Well...since you're not doing anything," Maki breathed, "maybe you would like to spar with me for a while. Guy's out with Rena so we have the training hall to ourselves."

I may be obessed with mastering the art of fighting, but I wasn't stupid. IF I had accepted Maki's offer then we would start off fighting, which would then obviously lead to me and her performing unspeakable acts of desparate passion in the Bushin training hall. Make no mistake, Maki is very attractive and she would make a perfect girlfriend for anyone out here...if she doesn't kill them first. Worse yet, if Guy saw me making whoopie with his sister-in-law/Bushin trainee, he would kill me on the spot. Several times over.

I gently grabbed Maki's shoulders and pushed her back. "Maki, you're a sweet girl, and Guy would kill me if he thought I was taking advantage of you in any way. I like you as a friend, okay?"

Maki slowly nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry, Ryu. I don't know what came over me. It's this heatwave. Please forgive me."

"You're forgiven," I replied. "It's not everyday that the sister-in-law of one of my rivals tries to hit on me."

Maki smiled at the joke I made. She then took one step back and bowed. "I need to go home and take a cold shower," she said. "Maybe that would help." She then turned and ran off.

I watched her until she disappeared into the crowd. Maybe the day was getting to Maki. And if I was any other person, then I would have accepted her offer...and probably had gotten killed bu her brother-in-law.

But I had more important things to worry about at the moment.

I finished my bottle of water and tossed the empty bottle into the trash and resumed jogging. When I was near Roppongi, that's when things had gotten sour.

I should have known that it was a trap. But It wasn't for me. I had accidentally stepped in by mistake. I thought that a girl was in trouble, so breaking my own vow of not to get involved on my birthday, I jumped in.

The brutes were not that tough but I should have been more careful. When I thought that all of the thugs were knocked out cold, I felt something being broken against my head. Then darkness.

I guess it must have been a couple of hours since I was knocked out cold. As I cam to, I realized three things. One, my head hurt like crap and I felt something warm seeping from the injury. Two, I was naked from the waist up, and three I was seated in a chair, hands tied behind my back.

As my vision came back I looked at my surroundings. I was inside a warehouse of some sorts...surrounded by the same bunch of guys that I had thrashed earlier, and looked worse for the wear. Two of them I immediately recognized from the past few tournaments that I had fought in: Sodom and Rolento.

I was in the company of the Mad Gear.

"Our guest is awake, I see," a female voice said.

I looked at the woman standing before me. She was wearing a tanktop that only covered her breasts (just barely) and a pair of shorts and high heels.

She walked over to me and bent down so that she can look at me at eye level. Thankfully, my head was still pounding and bleeding from being bashed with a glass bottle, so I really wasn't concerned with staring down her top.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly.

"My head hurts," I replied flatly.

"The fighter who took down Sagat is complaining that his head hurts," the woman said. It got a good laugh from the other members. "She the looked at me again. "Your reputation preceeds you, Ryu."

"Since you know who I am," I replied, "maybe you can tell me your name."

The woman placed one heel on my knee and leaned forward. "Name's Poison. Poison Kiss. The Mad Gear is setting up an overseas base here in Tokyo."

Mad Gear. I remember hearing about them from Guy. "How cute," I replied.

Poison then turned to the others. "Leave us."

The gang members piled out of the warehouse, Rolento and Sodom the last two members to leave. She then turned back to me once the place was emptied. "That was me back in the alley who bashed you with that beer bottle."

"I suspected as much."

Poison them moved closer to me. She then began to whisper to me. "For a Japanese guy, you're cute. We weren't trying to capture you, but we were trying to nab Guy and his friends." She then saw on my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I'm giving you a special one-time offer," she said while occasionally placing kisses on my cheeks.

"Join me," she whispered. "Be with me. You can have anything you want once we take over."

With my head pounding and a scantily-cald woman sitting on my lap and the (ahem) little dragon now getting involved, thanks to Poison grinding against me, I would have said yes.

In the meantime, I was working to get out of my bonds. One thing that I had learned from my travels was that you can get out of rope bonds by dislocating your thumb. While Poison was giving me her deal, I dislocated my thumb, allowing me to slip out of the rope that was secured to my wrists. While she was kissing me, I popped the joint back into its socket.

"Sorry to disappoint you," I replied. "But the answer is no."

Poison looked at me in complete shock. I then added, "by the way..." I held up my hands. "...I broke free of my bonds."

Before she could scream for backup, I balled my hand into a fist and sent it crashing into her temple. She went out like a light. Thankfully, her top still kept her assets covered.

I stood up. "Sorry about that," I managed to apologize before running out of the room.

Outside, I saw that Guy, Maki and a older man who was using a lot of wrestling moves were busy cleaning house with the Mad Mear members. Better let them handle this while I make my escape.

I turned around and decided to head for the back door. Unfortunately, Sodom and Rolento were guarding the back door.

"Planning to leave our company, aren't you?" Sodom asked as he pulled out his swords.

I pointed my thumb to the fiasco in the other room. "You should be worried about your friends, and let me pass."

Rolento held his baton at the ready. "That we can't do."

After being held captive and nearly being seduced, I was ready to blow off some steam. Screw the promise that I made earlier about not trying to fight. They started it and I was sure as hell going to finish it.

Looking to my right, I noticed a display of samurai armor, complete with a katana and a short sword. Seeing that I had a better chance of getting out of this mess with a weapon, I grabbed the katana from the display and held it in a ready stance. I've learned a bit of kendo and general swordfighting from various persons during my travels, so I can hold my own. But I'd prefer my fists.

Sodom and Rolento attacked. To this day, I'm now sure how I managed to defend against their attacks. But in a matter of moments, Rolento was down for the count and I had knocked Sodom on his back, his two swords behind me on the ground. He stumbed to his feetm stunned. I've seen Sodom do this before. He was going to try and charge at me.

Sure enough, Sodom rushed me. He can move real fast for someone wearing a ton of football padding underneath his clothes. However, I was ready. When he got close enough, I ran and tackled himand myselfthrough the window.

Fortunately, Sodom had broken my fall. And I broke several of his ribs when I fell on top of him. Serves him right for trying to block my escape route.

Unfortunately, I was still without a shirt and my pants were soiled from being fragged into the warehouse. Fortunately, there was a store nearby where I can buy an extra set of clothes and a public bathhouse where I can clean myself up.

I can use a bath. My clothes reeked. And I needed someone to take a look at my head.


	3. Part Three

Part Three 

The bathhouse was deserted, thankfully.

Before I went there, I managed to get someone to take a look at my head. Fortunately, the bleeding had stopped. Second, I went to a store where they sold martial arts equipment and clothing, as well as underwear. They were out of white karate gis, so I went with grey-blue. I ripped off the sleeves, bought an extra pair of underwear and a black belt, and I was on my way.

I sat in the steaming water, wondering over the past events. Two women had literally thrown themselves at me and I managed to avoid them, the latter cracking a bottle over my head, but that's beyond the point.

I went into the dressing room and changed into the cleaner clothes. I managed to get the pants on before I heard something out in the hallway. I stepped outside and looked around. Nothing. I wasn't stupid. There was someone else here.

I walked out of the dressing room and with extreme caution, walked around the baths. As I've said before, they were deserted at this time of the day, as it was still morning and most of the people were out running errands and such. After a quick inspection, I found nothing.

As I turned around and headed back to the dressing room, someone grabbed me and pulled me into the womens' dressing room.

"What the hell?" I managed to get out.

I looked at who hauled me into the woman's dressing room. "Mika!"

Yeah. Rainbow Mika, the pro wrestler. She was wearing only a bathrobe, rather than the wrestling outfit that I've seen her in. She had also taken my shock and used it to her advantage, because in a matter of moments, she had thrown me to the ground and had pounced on top of me, her bathrobe slipping to reveal one bare shoulder. For a woman, she was pretty strong.

I looked at her. "Mika. What the hell are you doing?"

"What's wrong?" she replied. " You don't like girls?"

"Of course I like girls, but I had a real bad day already."

She grinned at me. "All the better for me to come and seduce you."

I frowned. "I thought you were in Russia with Zangief."

"I was," she replied. "But Zangief is not a real man like you. Can't get it up," she added with a wink.

I was starting to suspect that she was naked under the bathrobe. My suspictions were confirmed when she said, "By the way, I'm not wearing anything under this robe."

I sighed. This was not my day. I literally threw her off of me and hopped back to my feet. When I got to the door and opened it, I turned around, just as she performed her Flying Peach technique. She turned around and propelled herself towards me, butt-first. I merely sidestepped the move. However, she miscalculated the distance from where I was standing to the edge of the baths.

I was nice enough to grab her out of the move, just as her tiptoes were clinging to the edge of the hardwood floor. Seeing that she was in no immediate danger and I also knew that she could swim (plus I gave her a rather evil grin), I released her and she fell into the baths with a loud splash, giving me enough time to slip the jacket over my bare shoulders and chest, tie my belt around my waist and made my escape.

I ran for several blocks until I stopped. The same questions were going through my head. Was every female fighter has it in for me? They see me as a person just to satisfy their own lusts. What the hell did I do to deserve this? Any other man - Ken included - would welcome this, but not me. This wasn't me.

I turned down a deserted street and started to walk, hoping that I was far away from anyone else who would try to ambush me.

Again, I was wrong.

I noticed someone watching me from across the street. Let's see...black one-piece uniform with the back exposed, heavy red gauntlets, short chestnut brown hair, spit shined boots...

Juni.

She was matching my walk with the same pace, looking at me as if she wanted to fight me.

I should have known it was another distraction.

When I was halfway across a display window, it exploded from behind me and when I turned around, I received a boot to the face, which made me stagger and I ended up leaning against a car, shaking the cobwebs out of my head.

Juli. And Juni.

The two Shadowlaw assassins grabbed me had me pinned. Then they began to rub and grind their bodies against mine

God damn it...

"Hello, Ryu," Juni breathed.

"It's been a long time," Juli finished.

"Not long enough," I replied. "Bison sent you two after me?"

"Bison is gone," Juli replied. "Shadowlaw is in ruins."

"We want you, Ryu," Juni replied as she trailed a string of kisses along my jawline.

"All of you," Juli replied as she ran one hand along my torso. She then licked my earlobe.

"No one in Shadowlaw is not worthy of Juli and me," Juni whispered. "Come with us."

"There are more of us," Juli continued. "Ten other girls."

"And we make twelve," Juni said. "You can have all of us..."

"All of us..." Juli whispered.

Twelve dolls, to bed to my will. The offer was so tempting. Each girl representing different nationalities and I can screw them six way to Sunday and...GOOD GOD, WHAT AM I, SOME KIND OF ANIMAL!

"There he is!"

"Get your hands off of him!"

I looked up, as did Juli and Juni. Poison and Mika were converging from seperate directions, Mika had changed into her wrestling outfit, minus the eye mask and carrying a steel chair in one hand and Poison had Hugo with her.

Believe me, if I was happy to see those two, it was now.

"He's mine!" Poison shouted.

Mika held her chair at the ready. "The hell with that! He's MINE!"

Juli and Juni relased their hold on me and faced the intruders. "No. he belongs to us!" they both said.

Poison snapped her fingers. "Hugo! Get them!"

Hugo charged at Juli and Juni, who surprizingly took down the big man and had him out cold. Then all four women, who had forgotten about me and were fighting each other. Rather than wait to see who was the victor, I silently made my escape.

However, I forgot that the area that I was in had several stairways cut into the side. I lost my step when I wasn't paying attention and ended up taking a serious header down the flight of stairs.

Lucky for me, I was unconscious before I had hit the ground. After today, this was a blessing.


	4. Part Four

Part Four 

This was starting to get old.

This was the second time I lost consciousness today.

While I was out, my mind was going back to a certain point in my life. Back to when I was competing in the Street Fighter tournament. It was the match deciding who was to face Bison in the tournament.

I ended up having to fight Chun Li.

We fought link and hard, but she made a severe mistake, allowing me to gain the upper hand. So I used my Shinkuu Hadouken on her and eventhough she blocked it, she was too exhausted to continue. Her pantyhouse was ripped in several places, one of her buns came undone and her bracelets were broken from the force of the attack.

We locked eyes for a long moment, as if there was some sort of unspoken agreement between us. Then I bowed and walked off. I could feel her watching me as I walked away.

Sure enough, Bison brought me to the brink of defeat, but I managed to pull through...just barely. I was on my way back to Japan when I decided to stay the night in Hong Kong. After checking myself into a hotel I was preparing for bed when there was a knock at the door. Wondering who it was at this time of night, I walked over to the door and opened it.

Chun Li was standing in the hallway. Her hair was down and she was wearing her battle dress outfit.

We looked at each other for a moment before I grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside. She kicked the door shut as I pinned her against the wall, our lips locked into a desperate kiss, our tongues probing each other's mouths. She tasted sweet, like ambrosia, and I couldn't get enough of her. I managed to pull her panties off just before she wrapped her legs around my waist as I was kissing her neck.

"I need you, Ryu," she rasped. "Oh, God, I need you..."

That was the first time that we had gotten together. I was no virgin (and I'm not going into detail about how I lost it, so don't ask), but it has been a long time since I've been with a woman. I can tell that I was her first. However, I can tell you this...Chun Li made me feel...alive when I was with her, as I've said before.

Anyway, after we had slept together, we were basking in the afterglow of some passionate sex when I spoke. "Chun Li"

She looked at me and pressed one finger to my lips. "Shh. Please...don't say anything," she said. "Just hold me, okay?"

I nodded and I did what she asked. The next morning, when I woke up, I found out that she had already left.

That's how it started between me and her. Whenever she was in the same city I was, she would track me down or I would go to her apartment and we end up having sex. Wild, passionate, uninhibited sex. And every morning, depending on where we were, we ended up leaving before the other woke up.

I finally came to. I was lying flat on my back, in my room, and once again, naked from the waist up. My bruises from the day were treated and bandaged up. Whoever it was, they sure knew what they were doing.

It was nighttime. I guess I was out of it for a while. The pain in my body had dulled down to an ache, so I decided to see who it was that had saved my ass from the mob of horny women who wanted a piece of me. As I assumed a sitting position and swing my feet over the edge of the bed, I noticed three suitcases neatly placed in one corner of my room. Whoever it is must be on the move. I stood up and walked out of the room.

I noticed the kitchen light on, so I decided to investigate. Imagine my shock as to who it was.

It was a woman. A Chinese woman to be precise. She was dressed in a blue spaghetti-strap haltertop, denim shorts that showed off her legs, and a pair of tennis shoes. Her long dark browh hair was wrapped into a single bun and held in place by a pair of laquered chopsticks. Eventhough we were outside of the arena, I knew who it was.

Chun Li Xiang.

She didn't notice me yet, as she was busy making herself some tea. I decided to break the silence. "Amazing."

She spun around and saw me standing in the doorway. She folded her arms across her chest. "You should be resting," she said. "What's amazing to you?"

I grinned. "You CAN wear your hair other than the braided and bunned style. Besides, I'm fine. Really. I've had worse." I then looked at her. "How did you find out where I lived?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Ryu. Interpol agent, remember?" Her expression then darkened. "Well, FORMER Interpol agent."

I blinked. "Former? What happened?"

She turned off the stove. "A bust went bad. I ended up sending several perps to the hospital. One of them had a father who was a crooked politician, and used his influence to have me fired." Her expression then turned to one of anger as she slammed one fist onto the counter. "They forgot that I was one the I.C.P.O.'s top agents! They forgot that I was one of the people who helped in bringing down Shadowlaw! They just turned their back on me." She sighed. "So there was nothing left for me there. I'm here because I got a friend who's starting a private investigator agency in Roppongi, and she invited me to Japan."

I never seen her this angry. Even back in the World Warrior tournament, she was never this angry. She was always calm and collected. She wa slao calm when she told me that Bison had killed her father, although she was better off screaming. "I'm sorry," I replied. "I know that being a detective was everything to you."

She looked at me after I made that statement and smiled. "Thank you, Ryu." She then raised one eyebrow at me. "What the hell happened to you anyway?"

"I was chased by several women," I replied. "That's what happened. Then I fell down a flight of stairs."

"Oh. Lucky for you I was there to drag you into my car." There was a pause between us before she asked her next question. "Who's the girl in the picture? On the mantle in the living room."

"My trainee, Sakura," I replied. "After I came back here, she challenged me to a fight. She lost, but I was impressed at how she handled herself, so I took her on as my pupil. I've been training her for a couple of months now."

"I never thought I'd see the day that the Japanese fighter takes on a student," Chun Li said. "You pretty much had me and everyone else fooled with 'the fight is all' routine."

I shrugged my bare shoulders. "Over time, people change. Martial arts is still my life, and I still compete in tournaments."

Chun Li nodded. "Well that's good to hear. Ryu...we need to talk. About us."

I nodded. "I know."

Chun Li walked into the living room, while I went back to my room to grab a shirt. After pulling it over my torso, I walked back into the living toom, where Chun Li was seated on the sofa, waiting for me. I sat down beside her.

Under any circumstances, we'd be all over each other. But not now. We had to straighten things out between us first.

"Ryu..." she began.

At the same time, I also spoke. "Chun..."

We both laughed when we spoke at the same time. I cleared my throat. "Um...you go first."

"I should have told you about how I felt about you," she began. "All those nights we spent together...I wanted to tell you so many times, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it because I was scared. Scared that you would push me away...scared that I would be left alone." She looked at me dead in the face. "I don't know any other way to say this but...I've been in love with you since we fought at the tournament. I just couldn't bring myself to admit it to you, least of all myself."

I absorbed her words, eventhough the expression on my face looked like I took one of Sagat's Tiger Blows to the gut. She had actually fell in love with me while we had fought. See if you can top that, Ken. When she saw that I didn't respond, she abruptly stood up.

"I'm sorry," she began to say through her tears. "I shouldn't have come"

However, I grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.

"When I first met you, and found out why you were competing," I replied softly, "I said to myself that a woman like you should not bear such a burden. You have been through unspeakable pains with the death of your father, as have I with the death of my master."

Chun Li looked at me as she slowly sat back down.

"Do you have any idea how long I was waiting for you to tell me how you feel about me?" I continued. "That night before I left Hong Kong, when we were together...I wanted to tell you myself, but I didn't know how...and you never gave me that chance."

I placed one hand against her cheek. She gently grabbed my wrist and turned my hand inward, so she could kiss my palm, her eyes locked onto mine. I relased her other hand and moved it to her hair. I gently pulled out the chopsticks and placed them to the side, allowing her long hair to cascade down her shoulders.

We moved closer. Then she leaned in and kissed me, which I returned. It was like two extremely combustible elements creating fire when I kissed her. It was like that first time when we slept together, but only better.

I knew where this was going to end up. This time, I didn't hesitate as I picked Chun Li up and carried her to the bedroom.

Several hours later...-

Of course we ended up in bed together, but this time, it was different. We satisfied our physical cravings for one another like the last several times when we were together, but after confessing about how we felt for one another, it was...different...in a very good way. In fact, the lovemaking was even much better than the first time. Her back was to me, as I was against it, hand interwined with my own. I was tired, but I couldn't sleep. I held her close to me, close enough that I could hear her breathing.

"You're still awake?" she asked me, not turning around.

"You never went to sleep?" I replied, kissing her bare shoulder.

She opened her eyes and turned herself so that she was looking at me, the bedsheet covering her chest for modesty. "I was just thinking."

"About what?"

She smiled that beautiful smile of hers, her brown eyes shining at me. "How I was alone at first when Papa died."

"What about Master Gen?" I replied. "Or Fei Long for that matter?"

"I had them for mentors and friends, sure, but I never had someone to actually connect with," she replied softly.

"Until you met me," I finished for her.

She nodded. "Yeah."

We talked for most of the night, occasionally sharing kisses and caressing each other. She was right, you know. It was the first time that I had actually opened myself to someone, not even to Ken about myself, and it was the same for her. Maybe I found something worth fighting for other than myself.

And to tell you the truth, I liked it.

When we got through talking about ourselves, it was nearly two in the morning. But I didn't dare to fall asleep. What if she left like before?

Chun Li noticed the look on my face. "What is it?"

"I'm just worried that if I fall asleep, then you'll be gone in the morning," I admitted.

Again she smiled at me and pecked me on the lips. "I'll never leave you. Just as long you'll never leave me."

"Works for me," I said.

"Ryu."

I looked at her. "Yeah?"

"Say it," she replied simply. "Say those three words."

I smiled at her as I said, "I love you."

She then kissed me again, which lead to a second round of sex. What can I say? I had the chance of getting laid by several different women today, but I held out. Good thing I did, too. Otherwise, I would have regret it, and Chun Li wouldn't be here now.

Afterwards, we fell asleep together. For the first time in my life, I felt at peace.

It was around eight in the morning when I woke up. I looked down and saw that Chun Li was still there, sleeping peacefully on my chest. Smiling to myself at the fact that she was still here, I went back to sleep.

When I woke up again, it was almost eleven. This time, when I woke up, Chun Li was gone. Her open suitcases were still on the floor, letting me know that she was still here.

I got out of the bed and after a quick shower and dressed into my usual karate gi (my headband was missing, for some reason), I went and looked for Chun Li. She was in the dojo, praticing in her one-piece tracksuit, minus the vest. Her hair was tied into a single braid...and was held in place by my red headband.

From my position at the door, I watched her as she went through her Kung Fu routine. She made it look like an art form, moving like a Chinese ballerina. Of course most guys take her as a weak, defenseless girl, and that's where they make their mistake, and end up knocked out by her. Ken included.

When will he ever learn? And he wonders why Guile doesn't like him.

I cleared my throat, alerting her to my presence. "Good morning," I greeted as I walked into my dojo.

She smiles at me. "Morning. Hope you didn't mind," she said, concerning my headband.

I shook my head. "Of course not." Now I'm within double arm's length of her. "Feel like sparring?"

"So I can kick you ass?" she replied teasingly as she went into her stance.

"You can try, Miss Xiang," I replied.

I assumed my stance. Then we attacked, testing out the other's defenses. Then Chun Li threw several punches, all of which I parried and blocked. She then tried to kick me in the head, but I ducked and swept her other leg out from under her. We sparred for about an hour until it ended in a stanfoff. To tell you the truth, I was holding back and I was suspecting that she was doing the same. After that, we had breakfast (yeah, I cooked). She was surprised that a nomad like myself can make a home-cooked meal.

Why not? I like to eat too. You pick things up when you travel.

We spent the day together. I was still recovering from yesterday and I really didn't feel like doing anything but just stay at home. With my girlfriend.

Even after all I've been through with all the other girls, it still felt strange for someone like me to have a girlfriend. Oh, well. I just see it as a challenge. A challenge that I will most certainly enjoy facing. And I know that she feels the same way.

We were both in the living room, seated on the floor, talking, once again, her back resting against my chest as my arms were wrapped around her curvaceous frame. The talking led to cuddling, which led to kissing and more cuddling. She had her pick of men back in Hong Kong, but she chose me. I felt touched when she told me this.

Yeah. This is definitely where I wanted to be.

End.


End file.
